The Cascade Effect of Parent Dysfunction: An Emotion Socialization Transmission Framework

Abstract

The current study tested a preliminary cascade model of parent dysfunction-i.e., internalizing psychopathology and emotion dysregulation-whereby parent dysfunction is transmitted to children through the impact of parental emotion socialization on child emotion regulation. Participants were 705 mothers (M age = 36.17, SD = 7.55) and fathers (M age = 35.43, SD = 6.49) of children aged 8 to 12 years who selfreported on their internalizing psychopathology, emotion regulation difficulties, and emotion socialization practices, and on their child's internalizing psychopathology and emotion regulation. Using a split sample method, we employed a data-driven approach to develop a conceptual model from our initially proposed theoretical model with the first subsample (n = 352, 51% mothers), and then validated this model in a second subsample (n = 353, 49% mothers). Results supported a model in which the transmission of dysfunction from parent to child was sequentially mediated by unsupportive parental emotion socialization-but not supportive parental emotion socialization-and child emotion dysregulation. The indirect effects from the final model did not differ by parent gender. Findings provide preliminary support for a mechanism by which maternal and paternal internalizing psychopathology and emotion dysregulation disrupt parental emotion socialization by increasing unsupportive emotion socialization practices, which impacts children's development of emotion regulation skills and risk for internalizing psychopathology.

The Influence of Parents on Emotion Regulation in Middle Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…Advantageously, two studies [ 45 , 46 ] of the included study sample adopted a cross-cultural perspective in which at least two cultural backgrounds were compared. Furthermore, 22 studies overrepresented Caucasian/white/European individuals [ 33 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ]. Two papers [ 68 , 69 ] also reported over-representing African-American individuals.…”

“…Two papers [ 68 , 69 ] also reported over-representing African-American individuals. Thirdly, 18 studies explicitly mentioned that conclusions were predominantly based on highly educated individuals [ 33 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 42 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 60 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 66 , 67 , 68 ]. These sample characteristics might limit the generalizability of the findings and should therefore be interpreted with a critical mind-set.…”

“…In the majority of the included articles, the ERC is employed in line with the concept definitions. However, four studies added both subscales to create a composite index of ER or emotion dysregulation [ 39 , 41 , 45 , 63 ]. The included papers will be discussed in line with the described definitions.…”

“…The valence of the ERSB and PMEP measures in the incorporated papers was predominantly negative. When ERSBs were questioned, 20 out of 26 studies administered a questionnaire or observation of parents’ reactions to a negative, distressing child event (e.g., the Coping With Children’s Negative Emotions Scale; CCNES; [ 82 ]) [ 33 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 69 , 72 ]. Only one study [ 67 ] considered ERSBs regarding positive child events.…”

“…Additionally, perseverance in emotional parent–child conversations (as opposed to quickly or abruptly ending the communication) is associated with better child ER [ 55 ]. By contrast, unsupportive ERSBs (e.g., minimization, punishment) both as a reaction to the negative [ 37 , 38 , 45 , 53 , 54 , 57 , 58 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 66 , 69 ] and positive emotions of the child [ 58 , 60 , 67 ], are considered unfavorable since they are linked to lower child ER [ 37 , 38 , 45 , 53 , 54 , 57 , 61 , 63 ], increased emotion lability [ 38 , 54 , 58 , 61 , 63 , 69 ] and lower psychological adjustment [ 46 , 62 , 66 ]. Moreover, the impact of unsupportive ERSBs on child mental health dynamically fluctuates across development; in a study by Ugarte et al (2021) [ 66 ], children demonstrated more internalizing symptoms in the years that mothers used more unsupportive ERSBs, compared to their own average across years.…”